By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders and Lagos State Task Force were yesterday involved in a clash in the Idi-Araba area of the State.

The Okada riders were protesting against the seizure of their motorcycles by the Lagos task force team.

The protest led to the disruption of activities and movement around the area.

The Lagos State Government banned motorcycle operations in Apapa, Eti Osa, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Surulere, and Lagos Mainland local governments since June 1, 2022.

The protest is coming nearly three weeks after another clash between the police and Okada riders in the Ojo area of the state after the former attempted to enforce the Okada ban by the state government.

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The state government had last week crushed nearly 3000 motorcycles impounded for flouting the ban.

A pharmacy shop owner close to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba, Benson Okache, said the incident happened at about 10.45am.
Okache said the clash between the police and the Okada riders led to the closure of the hospital’s main entrance.

A video that went viral from the scene of the clash showed suspected commercial motorcyclists running helter-skelter on the road.

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However, reacting to the face-off between the Lagos Police Command and the Okada riders, the Police assured residents of safety.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said the area is now safe.

He explained that “some lawless motorcycle operators were trying to cause trouble after their motorcycles were impounded. Our men are fully on the ground. CP Abiodun Alabi personally coordinated our response.”

He said that operatives from the police command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) dispersed the commercial motorcyclists, adding that normalcy had returned to the area.